An Inconvenient Tax

Synopsis

An Inconvenient Tax examines the Federal Income Tax and how Congress uses the complex tax code to achieve political goals that are unrelated to raising revenue. The result of 95 years of additions, subtractions, deductions, and exclusions, the 62,000 page tax code is so complex that many are voicing their desire to greatly simplify it or to even completely remove it. Currently, tax revenue cannot even pay for government spending. The film follows the progression of taxation through wars, economic booms, and significant presidencies in U.S. history. An Inconvenient Tax includes commentary from some of the nation's best-known economic experts, commentators, and political voices. Noam Chomsky, Ron Paul, Steve Forbes, Joseph Thorndike, Mike Huckabee, Charles Rossotti, David Walker, Neal Boortz, Herman Cain, Michael Graetz, Daniel Shaviro, Leonard Burman, and others discuss perceived problems in the American tax code, and also suggest possible changes. The possible solutions discussed include the FairTax, flat tax, and value added tax (VAT).

An Inconvenient Tax was officially released on Tax Day – April 15, 2010.

Press

Reception

The film received positive reviews from mainly right-leaning critics. The Swash, a libertarian news site, called the film a “must see, especially to those who are actually ignorant of what it really is, how it came to be and how it should be.” Another conservative critic said that it was a great way to “learn quite a bit in a fairly enjoyable fashion.” Director Christopher P. Marshall and producer Vincent Vittorio were interviewed on FOX Business Channel’s Stossel show with John Stossel on April 15, 2011.